Ventura County's 211 help line expands to six more counties

Dyani Loo, operator for 211, helps assist someone on the phone at the Interface Children's Services hotline, July 18, 2008 in Camarillo. Interface runs the county's 211 social services hotline. It is an easy way to locate needs such as shelter, food, counseling and domestic violence.

Ventura County Star

Ventura County's 211 help line won't suffer much when a Santa Barbara County agency ends its contract with the call service in March because of six new contracts with Bay Area counties.

Interface Children and Family Services, a Camarillo nonprofit that provides 211 service for more counties statewide than any other group, doesn't plan to lay off staff members or eliminate programs because of the canceled contract, which generated $75,000 to $100,000 a year for the agency, Executive Director Erik Sternad said.

"It's one less county. We can spread costs around for the benefit of everybody, but it won't jeopardize service for Ventura County or any of the other counties we serve," he said.

"That's part of what has made it very efficient for all of the counties," Sternad said. "In the middle of the night, they want to have someone available, but it's not efficient to have someone all the time."

Interface has a roughly $1.2 million budget for all 15 counties, he said. The agency fields calls from people seeking housing, food, mental health services and domestic violence help, along with other social services.

Santa Barbara County's Family Service Agency shoulders more than one-third of the costs for the 211 service in that county but lacks the funds to continue the program beyond March 31, Executive Director Scott Whiteley said.

"It's a very sad loss for the community because it's the loss of a safety net," he said. "There's nothing to be happy about in this very difficult decision. It's frankly just all about the money."

Since fall, Whiteley has tried to find other money to keep the help line.

"I spent a lot of time in the fall contacting funders and potential funders, and all of them, without exception, were supportive of the program, but all of them, without exception, said they wouldn't be able to provide any significant additional funding," he said.

The nonprofit can possibly find a funding source or have another agency oversee and finance the 211 service before the end of March, Whiteley said.

Although many California counties face budget shortfalls, Interface hasn't heard from any others that are thinking of canceling the 211 service, said Sternad, a member of the 211 California board of directors.

"This is the only county in the state that I'm aware of that has plans to close their service," he said. "If they do, they'll be the first 211 in California to close."

The agency has provided 211 service for Santa Barbara County since 2006, he said.

The social-services nonprofit, which started the state's first 211 service in 2005, spoke with 22,000 callers last year in Ventura County, as well as 15,000 in Santa Barbara County.

The 211 service has become more efficient in recent years, saving counties money with upgrades to the telephone system and state database, Sternad said.

"It's painfully ironic to see that just at the moment where 211 is most efficient, this is happening for Santa Barbara," he said. "All those people in need are going to have to kind of fend for themselves in terms of trying to find information and programs available. It's tragic to think about."